Thousands turn out for anti-war protests in New Zealand

Thousands of New Zealanders in cities and small towns across the country have protested this weekend against the US-led war in Iraq, holding marches and peace vigils.

Members of the Muslim community, including young children, marched through Auckland's central streets, while in Wellington protesters held a peace camp outside the United States embassy.

The camp will end with a rally Monday morning.

In Christchurch Sunday Mayor Garry Moore urged women to lead the anti-war charge.

"Mothers of the United States and Britain have to rise up and say 'don't do this to our children'," he told more than 1,000 people gathered at the Peace Action Network rally in Cathedral Square.

The anti-war protest march stretched for two blocks as it wound through city streets into the square, with protesters chanting and waving placards bearing anti-war slogans like "No Blood for Oil","Bush Butcher of the World", "Bush, Blair, Howard - Axis of Evil", and "Genocide George", supporting an image of United States President George W Bush with a Hitler-style moustache.

Iraqi immigrant Hussam Razzaq spoke to the crowd about the damage that US smart bombs did in the last Gulf war and how 75 per cent of them missed their targets.

"There are no words to describe the still eyes of a dead child," he said.

Elsewhere, a small crowd gathered for a peace vigil and procession in the small town of Thames, and about 500 people marched through Dunedin Saturday.

Iraqi women Noor Abdul, 20, and Sawsan Abdul, 49, carrying placards stating "Stop the war on my family" said they were grateful for the support.

The rest of their family remains in Baghdad and are too afraid to leave their home, the women said.

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